Chapter 10

Lisa Smith quickly cleared the plates and casually made up an excuse, "That's on me. I thought Mrs. Harding said a few days ago she wanted some anchovy pizza. I’ll throw one in the oven right now." "Doesn’t she hate anchovies?" William raised an eyebrow. He distinctly remembered her calling them a crime against pizza, refusing to touch them. Lisa broke out in a cold sweat behind his back. Just as she was about to admit fault, the man muttered to himself, "Maybe her taste changed over these three years." Then he stepped forward and began rolling up his sleeves. "If she likes it, teach me how to make it." Lisa quickly nodded, full of praise. "Wow, you’re really thoughtful, sir!" By the stairs, Elsie was quietly coming down. The moment she heard William say "She likes it," her fingers subconsciously clenched tighter. She couldn’t help but think—he really does care about Grace. Even learning to make pizza just because she likes it? Lisa noticed Elsie and walked over quickly, smiling. "Madam, I’m just gonna show Mr. Harding how to make pizza. Breakfast will be—" "No need." Elsie headed straight to the door and changed her shoes. "You guys eat. I'm already late for set. I’ll head out first." "I’ll drive you." William’s voice came from behind. Elsie acted like she didn’t hear and slammed the door shut. Inside the house, William narrowed his eyes. "What’s her deal this time?" Lisa swallowed nervously and asked carefully, "Still want me to teach you the pizza?" "...Yeah." At the set. Elsie had just sat down in the lounge when there was a knock on the door. "Good morning, Elsie. I brought you breakfast." Still thinking about William, the sudden knock startled her. Seeing Aiden, she frowned slightly. "Morning, but thanks—I’m good. Not hungry." Aiden was a decent guy, just... a bit too attentive. She wasn’t clueless. It was obvious he liked her. But her heart already had someone else, and she didn’t want to drag anyone along pointlessly. Not to mention—she was still married. Aiden opened his mouth to say something when... Olivia walked in with an "Oops!" carrying breakfast in her hand. "Guess I beat you to it—brought Elsie food on the way here." Aiden chuckled, "No worries. What I got might not be her thing, but yours—definitely is." Watching him walk away, Olivia popped open the pudding lid while teasing, "That kid’s always hovering around you. When’s he finally asking you out?" Elsie shook her head. "That’s never gonna be a thing." Olivia knew her friend too well to be surprised. Instead, she grinned, "Well, even if you don’t get the full experience, at least a kiss scene!" "Today’s weather’s perfect. Director's shooting your kiss scene." “Golden hour kiss, no less! Super romantic! Who knows—maybe you'll catch feelings mid-shoot!” Elsie felt like every word Olivia said had sparkles on it. She got goosebumps just listening. Still, her cheeks couldn’t help turning red.This was her first on-screen kiss since she started acting. Kissing someone other than William? Yeah, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. But no matter how awkward it felt, she was gonna get the job done like a pro. The shoot was split into two crews today. Aiden went off with the B team for location shots, so Elsie didn’t see him until the afternoon. By then, their scenes were wrapped and everyone was just hanging around on set, waiting for the sunset. Thankfully, the wait wasn’t too long. With the sun dipping low, Elsie and Aiden got into position, just waiting on the director’s cue. Right then, Aiden called out, “Elsie…” “Huh?” She looked up, thinking something was wrong. And of course—right on cue—the clapperboard snapped in the distance: “Action!” Aiden stared at her, serious as ever. “I want to kiss you.” Elsie’s face twitched. Sure, it was a line from the script. Still, it sounded... off. Like he wasn’t just acting. The way he said it sent a weird vibe through her. Not that she had a choice. She let out a soft nod, shy like the character should be. The sunset cast a golden glow as Aiden leaned in. They were just centimeters apart when a loud screech of brakes tore through the quiet set. Everyone turned, stunned. A sleek black Bentley had just peeled into the scene, stopping right beside Elsie. The window rolled down, revealing William’s stormy face. “Elsie, get in.” His eyes were literally spitting fire. All she felt was how ridiculous the whole thing was. So this is how he played it—when she wouldn't give up the role, he shows up just for Grace? Back straight, voice cool and distant, she said, “Mr. Harding, we’re in the middle of a scene. The whole crew’s been waiting for this shot. Please don’t hold everyone up—we’d have to reshoot everything.” “I’m not repeating myself.” William’s gaze flicked to Aiden, a vein popping along his clenched hand. His voice dropped a few degrees colder. Aiden held onto Elsie’s hand tighter, staring straight at William like he was daring him. The air froze instantly. No one dared breathe, with only the hum of the equipment filling the space. The director rushed over to defuse the bomb. “Sun’s down! Lighting’s all off now—let’s call it! That’s a wrap!” Grace trailed after him, speaking in a sugary voice, “Will, no matter the spat between you and Elsie, maybe not here? Let’s not make a scene.” With the director switching the cameras off, William finally chilled a little. He tossed a look at Eric. “Drive.” As the window rolled back up, Elsie stared at it, the corner of her mouth twitching into a bitter smile. Of course—when Grace speaks, he listens. Inside the Bentley. William slammed the tablet in his hand down hard onto the floor. Across the screen were today’s shooting notes. Those four glaring words—"sunset kiss scene"—stabbed at his eyes. “No wonder she bailed on breakfast to rush to set. Had a kissing scene with that punk Aiden, huh? Just acting like I’m not even here now?”Eric was practically driving on eggshells, nervously stealing glances at William from the rearview mirror. Finally, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. “But sir… wasn't it you who insisted on keeping the marriage under wraps? If it weren’t for that, no one would’ve dared to film a kissing scene with Ms. Clarke.” “I insisted?” William narrowed his eyes, his molars grinding hard enough to be heard. “If I hadn’t, should I have just handed the gossip mills in Capemont a headline? Let the whole damn city know she doesn’t give a damn about me?” Eric didn’t quite see it that way. He paused for a second, searching for the right words. “Honestly, I think Ms. Clarke… might care more than you think—” Before he could finish, his seatback got a violent kick. “Out.” Eric: “…” The Bentley came to a sudden halt halfway through. People from the crew glanced over, curiosity written all over their faces. Eric stepped out, straightened his jacket, and called out respectfully, “Miss Howard, Mr. Harding is looking for you.” That only sparked more whispers and looks from the crew. Grace lit up instantly, flashing a sweet smile. “Great!” Before getting in the car, she purposely turned to glance at Elsie. Elsie, totally unfazed, simply looked away and made her way toward the break room like she hadn't even noticed. Grace felt like she’d just swung and hit air, and the frustration showed as she stomped her foot before climbing into the car. In the break room, the makeup artist was carefully helping Elsie remove her makeup when the director walked in. Elsie’s heart skipped a beat, but she remained composed. “Director Bailey, is something wrong?” He nodded, tone noticeably cooler than usual. “Elsie, Mr. Harding just called—he wants Grace to take over your role.” The makeup artist’s hand trembled, but Elsie looked surprisingly calm, as if she’d braced herself for it. Just as she was about to respond, the door opened again. Eric stood there looking formal, clearing his throat before speaking. “Ms. Clarke... Mr. Harding said if you’re really attached to the script, you can swap roles with Miss Howard. Or, uh, you can choose any of the other scripts from Central Entertainment. He... asked me to see what you wanted to do.” What she wanted? After stripping her role and handing it to Grace, they still had the nerve to ask for her opinion? Elsie clenched her fists, fire in her eyes. “My opinion? He’s insane. A total jackass.” Cold. Sharp. Furious. Makeup artist: “…” Director: “…” Eric: “…Sorry, what?” Eric blinked several times, too stunned to respond. Did he really just hear that sweet, usually composed Ms. Clarke straight-up call the boss a jackass? Elsie took a deep breath, but the bitter anger was still churning inside her. She knew William’s style—once he made a decision, there was no taking it back. Especially when it came to Grace. Even if she confronted him right now, it wouldn’t change anything. That wave of helplessness washed over her hard. But still, she couldn’t bring herself to give up on a script she’d spent so much time preparing for. After a long second, she bit her bottom lip and said, “I’ll swap with Grace. Fine.” Eric looked like he’d just dodged a bullet. He rushed off to report back. Inside the car, William was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. “She just agreed? No pushback?” Eric remembered that fiery insult and swallowed hard. “She, uh… said okay.”